Asteroids And Dragons They move in orbits in the universe and could intersect with those of our planet. Some of these galactic paths are known to scientists, but others remain in the shadows or obscured by them dazzling shine des Sun. For this reason the POT is preparing for a transformation in planetary defense with the introduction of NEO surveyor.
It is a space telescope designed to search for celestial bodies that could cause an impact country. This mission, scheduled to begin operations in September 2027, will focus on identifying objects that remained invisible to traditional observatories and could pose a major threat.
The use of NEO Surveyor responds to both a legal mandate and the scientific urgency to prevent scenarios like this Chelyabinsk in 2013 where a car comes from 20 meters diameter It exploded in the atmosphere, releasing a shockwave that destroyed thousands of buildings. Through Infrared technologyThe space agency’s goal is to significantly improve the detection of hidden risks, close gaps in the catalog of nearby planets and provide the global community with the necessary tools to anticipate and neutralize astronomical threats.
The NEO Surveyor developed by NASA represents a qualitative leap compared to previous projects. As the agency explains, this telescope is “the first specifically built to search for a large number of asteroids and comets that could pose a threat to Earth.” Its main goal is to identify bodies of at least 140 metersknown as the “City Killer” because of their destructive potential. A collision of such an object could release the energy equivalent of 300 million tons of TNT.
The innovation features infrared detectors capable of identifying objects that do not reflect visible light due to their dark hue, but do They radiate heat after being exposed to the sun. This advantage allows tracking of both bodies hidden in the direction of the star and bodies that follow Earth’s orbit and are beyond the reach of conventional terrestrial observatories.
To ensure the extreme cold that its instruments require, the telescope is connected to the spacecraft through a system of insulating supports that block the passage of heat. This thermal stability is crucial for its opening. 50 centimeters and its sensors, which are designed to detect the infrared signals that asteroids and comets then re-emit in the form of heat absorb the sun’s energy.
Amy MainzerThe mission’s lead researcher and astronomer at the University of California, Los Angeles, said in an interview with Science magazine, “It’s truly amazing to see how things we saw on slides and cocktail napkins for years are now real pieces of hardware.”
On the other hand, Ed SwenkaDirector of the NEO Surveyor flight system at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), emphasized the priority of the project: “We are trying to find killer asteroids and protect the planet.”
According to the forecasts, it should be around 25,000 these dangerous objects. However, fewer than half have been identified, according to a monthly updated NASA analysis (11,493).
The balance sheet also shows that humanity managed to identify itself by December 1, 2025 40,155 asteroids Near-Earth objects of all sizes. Although the catalog of “giants”, that is, those larger than a kilometer and capable of extinction, is almost complete Discovered in 876 and only about 50 can be found, the real challenge lies with the medium-sized objects of more than 140 meters.
Cases in this category have been discovered, capable of devastating entire regions 11,493but it is estimated that others 14,000 remain undetected, underscoring the urgency of putting instruments such as the NEO Surveyor into operation. This reality is dynamic: in the last 365 days alone 191 asteroids Acquaintances passed by at a distance less than that which separates us from the moon.
The US space agency recognizes that “The detection of near-Earth objects is required by lawSince 1998 the congress has been the USA Set a goal of discovering at least 90% of asteroids one kilometer in diameter known for their ability to have a global impact, and expand the goal to include such in 2005 140 meters.
One of the biggest challenges lies in the difficulty of detecting the asteroids that advance from the direction of the planet Sun. Examples like the event of Chelyabinsk They emphasize the importance of early monitoring. Most of this meteorite vaporized into the atmosphere, but the blast wave caused injuries 1,500 people and widespread damage.
Richard BinzelAn expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), emphasized in statements to Science: “We are on the verge of really knowing whether an asteroid with our name exists.”
To maximize its effectiveness, the NEO Surveyor is installed at a point called “ L1lies 1.5 million kilometers exactly between the Earth and the Sun. It acts as a stable space “viewpoint” from which the telescope can monitor areas that are not normally visible to surface observatories due to intense sunlight.
To complement surveillance, NASA has already confirmed its response capability with the historic DART mission, which reached its goal on September 26, 2022. In this test, a ship intentionally hit Dimorphos, a 160-meter-tall asteroid similar in size to the threats the NEO Surveyor will search for. Guided by an autonomous navigation system, the probe achieved a direct collision at more than 22,000 km / h in its final moments, reducing the celestial body’s orbit several times 32 minutes. This success, later confirmed by observatories around the world, demonstrated that “kinetic impact” technology is capable of redirecting the trajectory of a planetary threat.
Beyond defense, NEO Surveyor will provide information about it to scientists composition and the evolution of bodies near the country. According to NASA, the data will be used to analyze the variety of primordial materials from which this was created Solar system and they will be able to shed light on the possible origin of water on Earth.
Although that was believed for a long time Dragonsrich in ice, brought water to the planet, chemical evidence suggests Asteroids. These rocky bodies contain water with a chemical composition almost identical to that of our oceans, suggesting that they were the true architects of Earth’s seas.
Other observatories such as Vera C. Rubin ObservatoryIn chiliand the mission NEOMIR The European Space Agency (ESA) in the planning phase will complement these efforts with optical systems and infrared radars.
The detailed study of the discovered asteroids requires collaboration with other telescopes such as James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)which is dedicated to the study of the physical properties of these bodies according to their original location.
The introduction of the NEO Surveyor, together with the integration of new warning systems and international cooperation, expands the horizons of the Planetary defense and exploring the origins of Solar system.
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